Volonteurope is really pleased to be part of a new project called ‘Safe Spaces’ funded by the EU. Our Romanian partner Association Colour Your Dreams is in the lead, working with us, another Romanian organisation and a Lithuanian organisation. Together we are designing a range of tools which can be used by youth workers all over Europe.
From desk research to face-to-face and online training modules by way of expert advice, policy frameworks, risk registers and a questionnaire, we aim to build on the wide range of safeguarding material available. But first and foremost we want to make the material user-friendly and adapted to the needs of individuals. groups and organisations which work with young people.
Therefore our first task is to assess the needs of youth workers in Europe – some will have lots of experience of safeguarding, be used to follow policies and know exactly what to do if a safeguarding concern is raised. We want to understand and build on their experience. But others may have little experience and are really keen to understand and learn more. We also want to base our training modules on real-life experiences – so we hope to gather lots of examples of challenges as well as good practice.
This is a topic very close to my heart. For a number of years, I was CEO of a UK-wide volunteering organisation which worked with many vulnerable young people and adults. I was able to draw on my extensive public sector experience to work with colleagues to put in place safeguarding policies and practice which protect not only the people we work with but also employees, volunteers, trustees and partners.
If you would like to get involved in the Safe Spaces project, and we would love to have involvement from all over the EU and beyond, one of the easy things you can do to help the project get off to a great start, is to disseminate the questionnaire. The link is at the end of this short piece. Please send it out to any youth workers (we are defining youth workers as anyone who works with children and young people) in your own organisation or in your partner organisations or in your network. The questionnaire is quick and easy to complete and can be anonymous or not.
I am certain that, like me, you really believe that safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults must be at the heart of the work we do together and the projects that we manage in the European Union and beyond.
Many thanks for your help. By the end of the Safe Spaces project – a platform will be available which will hold all the tools and training programmes designed by the project team. I will be sure to make it available via the ECF newsletter.
Link to the questionnaire: https://forms.gle/XNwDeKrKRBThKKvv5
Oonagh Aitken
President – Volonteurope
Vice-President and Treasurer – ECF